Tuesday, February 08, 2011

There's just something about the idea of coating pork rinds with chocolate, topping with coconut, freezing and then popping in your mouth that totally appealed to me. See video below made below by the Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture and check out their YouTube Channel for other recipes as well as videos on Filipino history, arts, culture and much more.

Monday, February 07, 2011

Last Month, I was invited to attend a cocktail party at the Red O to meet some of the chefs who would be present at the Inaugural Food and Wine Festival in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico, including the featured chef, Chef Rick Bayless. Part of the evening was comprised of Chef Bayless talking a little about Mexico's diverse cuisine followed by Chefs Victor Teran Torres and Edgar Navarro Vazquez, both from Ixtapa, sharing with us info about the flavors and ingredients unique to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. Of course, we also were able to sample some delicious appetizers representing the food from this region of Mexico.

The theme of this 3 day festival is all about honoring the philosophy of "32 tastes, 1 history, 1 soul" by showcasing the authentic cuisine of the region and of Mexico as a whole. During these three days, from March 26 through March 28, 2011, local and international chefs will be presenting cooking demonstrations like Market to Table with Rick Bayless where attendees will be able to learn about local flavors, cooking techniques and discover all that the Zihuatanejo market has to offer. Spirits and wine seminars include a Tequila Tasting and one focusing on the Wines of Mexico. Click here to see all participating chefs.

Across all three evenings, there will be opportunities to really really pleasure your palate with some of Mexico's finest food whether it's Saturday's 32 Tastes of Mexicowhere you'll get to try food from multiple tasting stations from renowned Mexican chefs and wines from both Mexico and the U.S. The night will also include a cookbook signing with Chef Bayless and several of our guest chefs. Then there's Sunday's evening to Celebrate Modern Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo where you'll get to sample dishes from local restaurants, sip artisanal cocktails, see a fashion show from local designers and so much more. Click here to see the complete schedule of events.

This definitely sounds like a fun food festival and it looks like Food and Wine is pulling all the stops, so if you'd like to get more information, please see all the links below.

Now that you've learned a little more about Food and Wine Festival at Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, it's time to enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of Rick Bayless' Cookbook, Fiesta at Rick's!

Here are the ways to enter!

Mandatory 1: First, check out the event schedule. Then leave a comment and tell me what's the one thing you'd like to attend at this festival if you were able to go. (Please leave your email or some kind of information on how I can contact you. Spell your email address like abby at pleasurepalate dot com).If I can't find a way to get a hold of you, I'll choose another winner.

You can have up to 4 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them. This is especially true for 2 through 4. If you don’t let me know which actions you took, then I won’t count them as entries.

Contest ends Friday, February 11 at 11:59 AM, PST and one winner will be randomly chosen from all entries. Good Luck!

About Me

I'm a Dining Group Organizer and Food Blogger who has a passion for all things tasty and absolutely loves setting up culinary outings all over LA! If you'd like to contact me, my email address is abby@pleasurepalate.com.